Tuesday, October 30, 2018

What was Ravi Bhalla's role in the TV attack ad by his union pals on Councilman Jim Doyle?

The controversy over the construction union Local 825 attack on Councilman Jim Doyle and by extension all of Hoboken took another turn when the councilman responded to support from council colleagues by criticizing them.

Stating their defense included criticism of Mayor Ravi Bhalla, he responded along the lines of "Ravi Bhalla is the kindest, warmest human being I know" and took shots at the council members who issued statements mostly defending him and his vote in opposition to theirs.

The whacked out response by Doyle was reported on the Hudson County View late yesterday. Although almost all the comments by Council VP Jen Giattino, Councilman Peter Cunningham and Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher centered on an unfair attack on Doyle and Hoboken by a pro-development union backing Ravi Bhalla, he responded as if it was only about the mayor.

Calling their defense "a continuing mission," against Ravi Bhalla, Doyle claimed the defense of both him and Hoboken is really all about the mayor to "see in any event, any occurrence, any utterance a nefarious intent on the part of the mayor."

Doyle was the lone, meaningless vote as eight other council members approved the Hilton Hotel after negotiating additional benefits in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charter schools, infrastructure, and the affordable housing trust.

But what role exactly did Ravi Bhalla play in the TV attack ad? Doyle shows no inclination or care to know.

Last week, the union televised an ad first aired exclusively on MSV where Doyle's lone vote in opposition was attacked as bad for Hoboken.

The question dangling and unanswered is what was Mayor Bhalla's role in the television attack ad? Rumors are flying from Trenton that Bhalla took no issue with the union attack on his running mate Doyle and the buzz is exploding north back into Hoboken.

After the attack, Ravi Bhalla would air no public defense of Doyle or Hoboken electing to pay homage to the union even as its spokesman declined to issue any apology pointing to its pro-development stance for Hoboken.

Did Ravi Bhalla approve in advance the union commercial as a warning against anyone who stands in the way of big development plans underway for Hoboken?

Jim Doyle doesn't appear to have a remote care about any of it and is aloof to the implications.

The original Ravi Bhalla Terror Flyer remains under investigationin the Hoboken Police Department.Police Chief Ken Ferrante has urged people with information to report it.

Talking Ed Note: Is anyone else experiencing deja vu about the Ravi Terror Flyer? The parallels on the savaging of Hoboken then and now are eerily identical.